Summary of this step

complete the application form and return it to the local authority where you live, regardless of which schools you are applying for.

submit supporting documents with your application form if you are applying under exceptional social or medical criteria.

Make only one application for each child. If you apply more than once for the same child, we will consider only the most recently submitted application form received before the deadline.

If you submit your application or make any changes to your preferences without a good reason after the deadline, your application will be treated as late. Late applications will be dealt with after on-time applications, and this may affect the chances of your child being offered a place at one of your preferred schools.

You can apply online from 29 October 2018. The closing date was 15 January 2019.

Making an online application lets you:

See all information in one place.

Make changes to your application right up until the deadline.

Send scanned/electronic documents in support of your application.

Accept or decline a school place offer online.

We use the eAdmissions website to manage all online school admissions.

You will need an email address to apply online and regular access to your emails, as you will be sent emails to confirm that we have received your application and to let you know the outcome on the offer date.

Don't forget to click submit after completing your application online. You will receive a confirmation email listing your preferences and an application reference number. Please check this email carefully to make sure your application details are correct. Whilst you can make changes to your application up to the closing date, it may not be possible to fix mistakes after the closing date.

If you apply online you can download the ParentComms mobile app to your mobile device and receive notifications about your application, including the outcome.

Alternatively, you can opt in to receive text messages by registering your mobile phone number online. If you register for text alerts you will not receive your outcome by text - you will need to login to your online application to view the outcome.

Make sure to read the information below to help you complete your application before you fill in the form.

Applying online is the most popular way to apply, and the online system is easy to use. You can apply online from 29 October 2018.

If you would like a paper application form instead, contact us from 29 October 2018 onwards on 0300 200 1004. Make sure to read the information below to help you complete your application before you fill in the form.

The closing date for on time applications was 15 January 2019.

Information to help you complete your application

All of the information below is important and may affect the place that is offered to your child – please take the time to read it.

The address to use

The address on the form must be the child's current permanent place of residence, usually the parents' address.

If the parents do not live together, the address is where the child spends most of their time, usually the address of the parent receiving child benefit (where applicable). If there is equal shared custody of the child, it is left to the parents to decide which address to use.

You should not use a business, relative's or carer/childminder's address.

We will not accept a temporary address if the main carer of the child still owns or rents a property that has previously been used as a home address, nor if we believe it has been used to obtain a school place when an alternative address is still available to that child.

An application can only be made from one address, and only one application per child can be made.

We will need proof of where you live - usually your council tax number or if you are not responsible for council tax, some alternative evidence, which should be a copy of your signed tenancy agreement and a utility bill.

We will check the address on your application against the records we hold for your child's current school and we may also check council tax records or write to ask you to provide proof of your address.

We will investigate any applications where there is doubt about the address being given. Use of false information may lead us to withdraw an offer of a place, even after a child has started at a school.

If you change your address after applying

If you move after applying to us or to another local authority, you must let us know immediately. You must tell us the date you moved and provide us with evidence of your new address.

If you have not yet applied, do not delay your application, even if you are planning to move. You must use your current address on the application form, and submit it to the local authority where you live by the closing date.

If your child is offered a school place based on where they live, it is conditional on them living at that address on the application closing date (or a different date if specified by the school). An exception will only apply if we have accepted a change of address that has taken place after the closing date (see further information below). A new address can only be considered once a move has taken place and we reserve the right to seek further information from you.

If you do not tell us about a move, or about a declared move that has failed to take place, we may withdraw your application or any offer of a school place we have made.

We will investigate any applications where there is doubt about the address being given. Use of false information may lead us to withdraw an offer of a place, even after a child has started at a school. More information on how we will investigate applications is available in our Address of Convenience Assessment Protocol (PDF).

If you move before the closing date (15 January 2019)

Let us know the date you moved and provide us with evidence of your new address, for example a copy of your tenancy agreement or confirmation of exchange with the date of completion.

Once we accept it, your new address will be used for school allocation purposes.

If you move after the closing date (15 January 2019)

If you move after the closing date it may be possible to update the application address, depending on when you move and you providing us with evidence of your new address.

Moving within Surrey after the closing date: If you move within Surrey after 15 January 2019 and complete the move on or before 11 February 2019, your new address can be used in the initial allocation of school places on 16 April (the national offer day). At the point of your application or no later than 11 February, you will need to provide us with evidence of exchange and evidence of an agreed completion date that is no later than 11 February (for example, a solicitor's letter).

If you move within Surrey after 11 February 2019 or if you provide us with evidence of a prior move after this date, your previous address will be used for initial allocation purposes on 16 April 2019. Your new address will be used for waiting lists from 16 April 2019, or the date you move if your move has not yet taken place.

Moving out of Surrey after the closing date: If you move out of Surrey after 15 January 2019 but on or before 11 February 2019 and you provide us with evidence (such as confirmation of exchange with date of completion) by 11 February 2019, we will need to forward your application to your new local authority. You may be asked to complete a new application form and be able to change your named preferences.

If you move out of Surrey after 11 February 2019 or if you provide us with evidence of a prior move after this date, responsibility for your application remains with us and your previous address will be used for initial allocation purposes on 16 April 2019. Your application will become the responsibility of your new local authority and your new address will be used for waiting lists from 16 April 2019, or the date you move if your move has not yet taken place.

Moving into Surrey after the closing date: If you move into Surrey after 15 January 2019 but on or before 11 February 2019, let your original local authority know in writing and provide proof of your new address. Please also let our admissions team know. Once your original local authority is satisfied that you have moved we will liaise with them to take over your application. We will ask you to complete a Surrey application form; we will need this and evidence of your new address by 11 February 2019 in order to take responsibility for your application and to consider your new address in the initial allocation of school places.

If you move into Surrey after 11 February 2019, or if you provide us with evidence of a prior move after this date, your application will remain the responsibility of your original home local authority and your previous address will be used for initial allocation purposes. Your application will become our responsibility and your new address will be used for waiting lists from 16 April 2019, or the date you move if your move has not yet taken place.

If your original home local authority uses a different date by which to accept a change of address, we agree with that local authority which of us should have responsibility for your application.

Your school preferences

You can name up to four schools.

You must name the schools in order of your preference (this information is not shared with schools so does not disadvantage your application). If your child can be offered a place at more than one of your named schools, the offer will be for the one that is listed highest on your preferences.

If your child is leaving Year 2 of an infant school, you can only name schools with a Year 3 intake on your application form.

Do not include any private or independent schools. You should apply to these schools directly.

If you are applying for schools outside Surrey but you live in Surrey, you must still name these schools on your Surrey application form. For details of schools outside Surrey contact the relevant local authority.

We recommend that you:

Name four schools if you can.

Name schools that your child is most likely to be offered a place at.

This will increase your chances of being offered a place at one of your named schools.

Naming fewer schools on your list of preferences does not increase the chance of you being offered a place at one of those schools. Places are allocated according to the admission criteria of the schools, not how many schools you have named. If you name fewer than four, you increase the risk of being offered a place at a school that you have not named, which might be further away.

Check each school's website or our admissions booklets for the admission criteria of each school to see how places are allocated, and how many children applied and were offered a place last year. Many children will be offered a place under the distance criteria (based on how far they live from the school). You can see the maximum distance that schools offered to last year in our admissions booklets (but note this is only an indication – the maximum distance will be different this year depending on how many children apply to each school).

Whilst we have a responsibility to make a school place available to each Surrey child, it may not be at one of your named preferences or at your closest school.

Your reasons for preference

The application form has space for you to give a reason for naming a school as a preference but you do not have to complete this. Any information included will be considered but reasons given will not usually affect how places are prioritised.

Siblings

If you believe your child is eligible for sibling priority at one of your preferred schools, you must include the sibling's details on your application. If you don't, your child may be given lower priority for a place at the school.

For community and voluntary controlled schools we define a sibling as:

brother or sister with the same parents whether living at the same address or not.

half brother or sister living as part of the same family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday.

adopted or fostered brother or sister living as part of the same family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday.

step brother or sister living as part of the same family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday.

Siblings must already be on roll at the school you are applying for and be expected to still be on roll at that school (or, if you are applying for an infant school, a junior school which has both a feeder and sibling link with the school you are applying for) on the date of the child's admission.

Academies and foundation, free, trust and voluntary aided schools may have different definitions of siblings. Contact these schools for details of their sibling criteria.

Looked after and previously looked after children

Children who are looked after or were previously looked after by a local authority, receive top priority for a school place. If your child meets one of the following definitions, you should indicate this on your application and include supporting evidence from the child's social worker:

Looked after children are those who are registered as being in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989(a) at the time an application for a school is made, for example, children who are fostered or living in a children's home.

Previously looked after children are those who have previously been in the care of a local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989(a) and who have left that care through adoption, a child arrangement order (in accordance with section 8 of the Children Act 1989 and as amended by the Children and Families Act 2014) or special guardianship order (in accordance with section 14A of the Children Act 1989).

Applying under exceptional medical or social criteria

If you wish to apply under a school's exceptional medical or social criteria you must provide relevant information, including medical evidence, where appropriate, to support your case at the time of your application.

The exceptional social or medical circumstances might relate to either the child or the parent/carer. Supporting evidence from a professional is required such as a doctor and/or consultant for medical cases or a social worker, health visitor, housing officer, the police or probation officer for other social circumstances. This evidence must confirm the circumstances of the case and must demonstrate why the child should attend a particular school and why no other school could meet the child's needs. If you are applying for exceptional priority for a school that is not your nearest, you must explain why nearer schools cannot meet your child's needs.

Providing evidence does not guarantee that a child will be given priority at a particular school. In each case, a decision will be made based on the merits of the case and whether the evidence demonstrates that a placement should be made at one particular school above any other.

Common medical conditions and allergies can usually be supported in all mainstream schools, therefore priority would not normally be given for these. Some mainstream schools have units attached which provide specialist provision for children with an education, health and care plan which names the school. The facilities in these units are not normally available to children in the mainstream school and, as such, priority under a school's exceptional social or medical criterion would not normally be agreed for a mainstream place on the basis of a specialist unit being attached to the school.

In addition, routine child minding arrangements would not normally be considered to be an exceptional social reason for placement at a particular school.

We reserve the right to refer medical evidence to our designated medical officer, where necessary, to assist us in making a decision about medical priority for a school place.

Supporting evidence

If you have a council tax account number this must be provided with your application. If you do not have a council tax account number (for example some private tenants, or armed forces families living in service family accommodation in the United Kingdom), you must provide alternative evidence of your address with your application which should be a copy of your signed tenancy agreement and a utility bill.

Evidence to support applications under exceptional medical or social criteria must be provided with your form by 15 January 2019.

Evidence received after that date may be considered only if it could not reasonably have been provided by 15 January 2019 but will not be accepted beyond 11 February 2019.

Any evidence received after 11 February 2019 will not be considered until after the initial allocation of places.

Admission of children outside their normal age group

If you would like your child to be educated outside their normal age group, the admission authority for each school will consider your request based on your child's circumstances and what is in your child's best interests. You must state clearly why you feel admission to a different year group is in your child's best interests and, if you wish, provide evidence to support this. You can contact the local authority for advice, and also see Surrey's guidance on the education of children out of their chronological year group (PDF).

Children with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND)

We treat applications for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in the same way as all other applications, unless they have an education, health and care plan (EHCP). If your child has a EHCP, you must follow the procedure for applying for a school place for a child with an EHCP.

Applying for a Surrey school from outside Surrey

Other local authorities in England

Each local authority has its own application form. You must complete the form for the local authority where you live regardless of which schools you are applying for.

Applying for children in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales and wish to apply for a Surrey school, you need to provide evidence of a planned return/arrival to Surrey in time for the start of the academic year and evidence of an established link in Surrey that indicates your child will be living in Surrey when they are due to start school. You must apply by the deadline of 15 January 2019. We will initially consider the application based on your child's address in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales and any subsequent change will be considered in line with our change of address policy. See our advice above about changes of address.

If you have not yet established a residential link to Surrey you will not normally be able to apply until this has been established or until the child has returned to/arrived in Surrey. However, exceptions may apply to families wishing to apply for a boarding place at Royal Alexandra and Albert School and you should contact this school directly for further details.

Children who are not due to return to/arrive in Surrey until after the start of the academic year should submit an in-year application.

Applying for children from abroad

If you and your child live abroad, you may only apply for a school place if your child:

holds a full British Citizen passport (but not a British Dependent Territories or British Overseas passport); or

is an EEA national (all member states of the European Union together with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein); or

is a Swiss national (Swiss nationals have the same right to live and work in the United Kingdom as EEA nationals) or

has a passport which has been endorsed to show that they have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

If you have a property in the United Kingdom you should apply to the local authority for that address. If you do not have a United Kingdom property and wish to apply to Surrey, you need to provide evidence of a planned return/arrival to the United Kingdom in time for the start of the academic year and evidence of an established residential link in Surrey that indicates your child will be living in Surrey when they are due to start school. You must apply by the deadline of 15 January 2019. We will initially consider the application based on your child's address abroad and any subsequent change will be considered in line with our change of address policy. See our advice above about changes of address.

If you have not yet established a residential link to Surrey you will not normally be able to apply until this has been established or until the child has returned to/arrived in Surrey. However, exceptions may apply to families wishing to apply for a boarding place at Royal Alexandra and Albert School and you should contact this school directly for further details.

Children who are not due to return to/arrive in Surrey until after the start of the academic year should submit an in-year application.

For other children without automatic right of entry to the United Kingdom, an application can only be made once the child is in the country.

Applications from Members of the Armed Forces and Crown Servants

Members of the Armed Forces and Crown Servants with automatic right of entry to the United Kingdom who are able to provide evidence of their relocation may apply for a school place ahead of a move. For Armed Forces applications we will use the unit posting address when considering the application. For Crown Servants who are returning from overseas to live in the area, a United Kingdom address can only be used if there is evidence of the address the child is returning to.